Fitz's Last Game as a Bill

[Another Fan]

One of the most bittersweet Bills games I remember.  It was the last game of the 2012 season which was real disappointing and you knew changes were going to be made.

 

Still nice to see that Fitz & Stevie combo one last time.  And Chan Gailey as well for that matter.  Also, CJ Spiller had the fastest sprint I can remember for a touchdown in this game.

 

it's crazy to think too at one point the Jets had a 6 game winning streak against the Bills but they did before this game.  

 

 

 

But yeah being Fitz is something of a Bills Mafia legend at this point. I thought it'd be cool to share

 

 

 

[BuffaloBillyG]

10 minutes ago, Another Fan said:

One of the most bittersweet Bills games I remember.  It was the last game of the 2012 season which was real disappointing and you knew changes were going to be made.

 

Still nice to see that Fitz & Stevie combo one last time.  And Chan Gailey as well for that matter.  Also, CJ Spiller had the fastest sprint I can remember for a touchdown in this game.

 

it's crazy to think too at one point the Jets had a 6 game winning streak against the Bills but they did before this game.  

 

 

 

But yeah being Fitz is something of a Bills Mafia legend at this point. I thought it'd be cool to share

 

 

 

Absolutely hated the Jets uniforms in that era. Reminded me of the uniform from that 80s football movie with Kurt Russell and Robin Williams. 

[Lafromboise]

9 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Absolutely hated the Jets uniforms in that era. Reminded me of the uniform from that 80s football movie with Kurt Russell and Robin Williams. 

There uniforms still suck. At least they got there logo somewhat decent 

[NickelCity]

5 minutes ago, Lafromboise said:

There uniforms still suck. At least they got there logo somewhat decent 

 

I honestly think their new uniforms are even worse 

[Steptide]

I always thought Marrone should've kept Fitz another year to mentor which ever rookie they drafted. In hindsight, it probably would've made no difference. Marrone would've never kept Fitz though, he would've hated how much buffalo loved him 

[Another Fan]

Crazy as well before the hiring of Brady this was the last time the Bills had an offensive minded coach 

[Big Turk]

I know he is considered some folk hero, but the truth is he wasn't very good after teams figured out his limitations after about 4-5 games early on where he would tear teams up due to him fearlessness with the football.  This repeated almost exactly every year he was in the league starting.

 

Good on him that he built a career out of it tho. Most would never have had the level of success he did with his physical limitations.

Edited February 14 by Big Turk

[Another Fan]

9 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

I know he is considered some folk hero, but the truth is he wasn't very good after teams figured out his limitations after about 4-5 games early on where he would year teams up due to him fearlessness with the football.  This repeated almost exactly every year he was in the league starting.

 

Good on him that he built a career out of it tho. Most would never have had the level of success he did with his physical limitations.

Yeah why it was such a bittersweet game.

 

Liked him personally but did not want him by this point anymore as QB.  Was nice though his last Bills memory was a W.  

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, Big Turk said:

I know he is considered some folk hero, but the truth is he wasn't very good after teams figured out his limitations after about 4-5 games early on where he would year teams up due to him fearlessness with the football.  This repeated almost exactly every year he was in the league starting.

 

Good on him that he built a career out of it tho. Most would never have had the level of success he did with his physical limitations.

 

Not looking at stats, just at live performances...  Fitz was a bit erratic with the ball.  Not as accurate as the elite QBs. 

 

But Stevie and Fitz had some kind of weird voodoo thing going on.  Stevie would juke left, juke right, then run some kind of strange route that wasn't in the playbook.  Fitz would heave the ball out there - not to where Stevie was going, nor to where he was designed to go, but to some place away from the DBs where only Stevie might be able get it.  And Stevie would.  

And I loved when Fitz was mic'd up and we'd hear him grunting like an animal as he threw a ball as far as he possibly could, maybe 60 yards, hoping Stevie would get under it.  

 

Edited February 15 by hondo in seattle

[Another Fan]

9 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

Not looking at stats, just at live performances...  Fitz was a bit erratic with the ball.  Not as accurate as the elite QBs. 

 

But Stevie and Fitz had some kind of weird voodoo thing going on.  Stevie would juke left, juke right, then run some kind of strange route that wasn't in the playbook.  Fitz would heave the ball out there - not to where Stevie was going, or was designed to go, but to some place away from the DBs where only Stevie might be able get it.  And Stevie would.  

And I loved when Fitz was mic'd up and we'd hear him grunting like an animal as he threw a ball as far as he possibly could, maybe 60 yards, hoping Stevie would get under it.  

Fitz was an incredibly bright guy and was probably smart enough to read Stevie well like that to know what was up.

 

There's a great catch Stevie made in their final game together in the 3rd quarter above that still stands out in memory. 

 

But yeah there was a reason Fitz had the nickname Picks-Patrick and Fitz-tragic too.  

[boyst]

2 hours ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Absolutely hated the Jets uniforms in that era. Reminded me of the uniform from that 80s football movie with Kurt Russell and Robin Williams. 

How TF do I not know there is a movie with these two??? Guess I got something to watch working from home this week. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

5 minutes ago, boyst said:

How TF do I not know there is a movie with these two??? Guess I got something to watch working from home this week. 

Actually a good nostalgia movie. Called "The Best of Times" I believe. It's a pretty good watch 

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, Another Fan said:

Fitz was an incredibly bright guy and was probably smart enough to read Stevie well like that to know what was up.

 

There's a great catch Stevie made in their final game together in the 3rd quarter above that still stands out in memory. 

 

But yeah there was a reason Fitz had the nickname Picks-Patrick and Fitz-tragic too.  

 

You might be right.  Maybe Fitz was bright enough to read Stevie. 

Stevie had three consecutive thousand-yard seasons despite not being fast and not working out much in the offseason.  But he was an interesting, elusive, unpredictable route runner.  He'd find a way to get open; it just might not be where the play was designed to go.  But Fitz could get him the ball.

 

I think that's what frustrated DBs.  They thought they read the play and then Stevie, seeing that the designed play wasn't going to work, ad-libbed something.  

 

I don't think Stevie would have had those three great years with another QB.  I don't think most other QBs could have kept up with Stevie's improvisations the way Fitz did.  

 

Edited February 15 by hondo in seattle

[Another Fan]

4 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

You might be right.  Maybe Fitz was bright enough to read Stevie. 

Stevie had three consecutive thousand-yard seasons despite not being fast and not working out much in the offseason.  But he was an interesting, elusive, unpredictable route runner.  He'd find a way to get open; it just might not be where the play was designed to go.  But Fitz could get him the ball.

 

I think that's what frustrated DBs.  They thought they read the play and then Stevie, seeing that the designed play wasn't going to work, ad-libbed something.  

 

I don't think Stevie would have had those three great years with another QB.  I don't think most other QBs could have kept with Stevie's improvisations the way Fitz did.  

Or with another coach as well.  Same goes for CJ Spiller

 

Once Marrone arrived their careers were sadly cooked for the most part.   

 

 

[scuba guy]

I just remember Revis always as a shut down corner and Stevie would put up 100 yards on him.

 

Odd how that worked out with the qb and wr like that.

[Big Turk]

1 hour ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

Not looking at stats, just at live performances...  Fitz was a bit erratic with the ball.  Not as accurate as the elite QBs. 

 

But Stevie and Fitz had some kind of weird voodoo thing going on.  Stevie would juke left, juke right, then run some kind of strange route that wasn't in the playbook.  Fitz would heave the ball out there - not to where Stevie was going, nor to where he was designed to go, but to some place away from the DBs where only Stevie might be able get it.  And Stevie would.  

And I loved when Fitz was mic'd up and we'd hear him grunting like an animal as he threw a ball as far as he possibly could, maybe 60 yards, hoping Stevie would get under it.  

 

 

I thought I remember Stevie saying that he literally just did what he wanted out there in terms of running routes which is why so many DBs had issues covering him, because he didn't have any set "rules" you could really count on him following, he kind of made it up on most plays.

 

I think I remember either him or Fitz saying something like "I need you to be here at this time but how you get there is completely up to you...just do what you want and I'll figure out how to get the ball to you"

Edited February 15 by Big Turk

[dhg]

3 hours ago, Steptide said:

I always thought Marrone should've kept Fitz another year to mentor which ever rookie they drafted. In hindsight, it probably would've made no difference. Marrone would've never kept Fitz though, he would've hated how much buffalo loved him 

Moron was the biggest DB of a coach the Bills ever had IMHO. Ryan close second. Set the team back years

[Mikie2times]

2 hours ago, Big Turk said:

I know he is considered some folk hero, but the truth is he wasn't very good after teams figured out his limitations after about 4-5 games early on where he would tear teams up due to him fearlessness with the football.  This repeated almost exactly every year he was in the league starting.

 

Good on him that he built a career out of it tho. Most would never have had the level of success he did with his physical limitations.

He was the perfect back up QB. 

 

Understandable why teams felt the need to try and make him more. 

[T.E.]

2 hours ago, Big Turk said:

I know he is considered some folk hero, but the truth is he wasn't very good after teams figured out his limitations after about 4-5 games early on where he would tear teams up due to him fearlessness with the football.  This repeated almost exactly every year he was in the league starting.

 

Good on him that he built a career out of it tho. Most would never have had the level of success he did with his physical limitations.

He was one of those "guys you love to watch unless he's on your team" QBs. Jameis Winston is like that too.

[sullim4]

This is the only Bills game my wife has ever attended.  She thought it was depressing as hell listening to WGR after the game and has never had the desire to go again.  Mind you she grew up a Lions fan.

 

I've taken my dad on trips ever since.